Man dies in Worcester fire

(Photo by Phil Sullivan)

By Sarah Gantz, Globe Correspondent

A man died in a vacant Victorian house in Worcester early this morning after the building was engulfed in flames, fire officials said.

The fire began on the second floor, where firefighters found the man, said Frank DiLiddo, a Worcester Fire Department deputy chief.

Authorities had not determined the victim’s identity as of this afternoon, DiLiddo said. He said the man could have been homeless.

“They’ve had problems with squatters in the past,” DiLiddo said. The two-story house has been vacant for five years.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, said DiLiddo, who added that the building did not have electricity.

Firefighters had received word that a person might be inside the building on Main Street, but heavy fire prevented them from entering the building when they arrived at 1 a.m. this morning, DiLiddo said.

Once they gained control over the fire from outside, firefighters were able to enter and conduct a search. The man was dead when firefighters reached him.

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